Rosemarie
by Jenny the chica
Summary: **UPDATED** Ummm...gah i hate summaries...my version of Beauty and the Beast! (Yay for Jenny!) *Chapter seven has been added!!!*
1. Prologue

Authoress's Note: Well, here's my take on Beauty and the Beast...if you want me to write more, just review, and I will magically escape my writer's block and be inspired once more! Many thanks! ~Jenny the chica~  
  
  
  
Rosemarie  
  
By Jenny the chica  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Prologue  
  
  
Once Upon a Time…a time where everyday people, like you and me, could see fairies and unicorns and elves and spells, and magic was everywhere, and heroes, virtuous ones, always arose when there was even the slightest need, and witches and evil fairies cast evil spells, and beautiful princesses would be rescued by handsome princes, and they would be able to fall in love instantly and still live happily ever after; a time when good always won and everyone's lives ended just as they had wished.   
  
Once Upon a Time, a prince was born in a happy, joyful kingdom, where all the magical and mystical things mentioned above existed in great amounts. His parents were, of course, overjoyed, as most parents are when their baby was born.  
  
But this was even more special, because the prince was the firstborn, and thus the heir to the throne. The entire country celebrated with the king and queen, and a national holiday was proclaimed, as they always were. In one certain country, one of the oldest, there had been so many proclaimed national holidays that every other day, or almost, at least, there was a great holiday. Sadly, everyone still had to work on those days, since, thankfully, the monarchy was not so stupid that they would let their people work only every other day. And, of course, the monarchy had to do their special duties, whatever they were, as well.  
  
However, that is an entirely different matter, for another time, story, and place. Perhaps we will hear that story later, perhaps not. Anyway, in this kingdom with the new prince, the festivities eventually died down and normal life returned to the happy royal couple and their child.  
  
And so the boy grew, the sole object of his parents' affection, since they never had any children besides him. Because of this, though, he was rather on the spoiled side…and that is putting it gently. In short, he was a brat to everyone except his parents, when he immediately became a perfect angel around, and they were too biased to listen to the courtiers, who came to them and raved about "what your blasted…I mean, dear sweet, son has done now."  
  
His parents never punished him for anything, which is a pity, for I'm sure that he would have made a very nice boy, had he been raised that way, for he had curly, brown hair and a handsome face.  
  
This he continued to grow up, lacking correction and discipline, until shortly after his seventeenth birthday. Still spoiled as ever, he was always playing tricks on the various servants, who only stayed in the castle because they adored the king and queen, even in spite of their terrible son.  
  
But one day in June, which was just after his seventeenth birthday, which fell in April, a huge epidemic spread through this once-happy kingdom. Many died, and both the king and queen fell ill to it. Sadly, the prince had been spirited away to the country before he could catch it. Both rulers died, along with a good number of the population.  
  
When the prince returned home, after the epidemic had died down, he returned to almost no one to rule. Of the people, most that had not died had fled to neighboring lands, whether they had relatives there or not.  
  
You should not be very surprised that he did not care at all…well, at least not much. He ruled only because he liked feeling powerful. Another thing that you should not be surprised at is that many of the people left in the country fled soon after he came to power.  
  
In fact, after he had been ruling for only a few months, there were only a handful of scattered homes that were still inhabited in the prince's kingdom. When his advisers would tell him this, he didn't really understand, and, when they finally explained it to him in great detail, he didn't care. All that mattered was the fact that he was in charge, even if there was no one to be in charge of.  
  
Now, as I said in the beginning, this is a land where magical things are everyday occurrences, but the prince, having lived in the palace all his life, had never personally witnessed any of the magical things that could be found in his land.  
  
On one particular winter's night, when the prince had been ruling for two and a half years, and was very close to his twentieth birthday, there was a visitor to the castle.  
  
Of course, this is not a strange thing in any other circumstance, but you already know that this is not an ordinary incident, and thus it was quite strange.  
  
No one had come to the castle, other than the servants and courtiers who were left. Not even the few scattered citizens of the country came there. Actually, they only technically lived within the bounds of the prince's country. It's not like they ever listened or obeyed the cruel prince, anyway.  
  
Nevertheless, on this night, the door was opened by the gatekeeper, who normally opened the door. He was met by an old woman, tightly bundled in a dirty, old cloak that smelled of dirt, grime, and garbage. She was hunched over, and nearly toothless. Her gray hair was greasy and stringy, and dirty streaks were all over her face. The man hid his grimace, out of politeness, and told her to wait a moment. She nodded, and was thankful that the door was not slammed in her face, but merely left cracked open.  
  
Not long after, a young man's voice was heard, "WHO LEFT THE DOOR OPEN? IT'S BLOODY COLD OUTSIDE!!!! DO YOU WANT ME TO FREEZE?"  
  
A mumbled, "No, your majesty, of course not, your majesty," could barely be made out. The old woman continued to wait patiently.  
  
The young man, who we know to be the prince, yanked open the door, only to peer down at the old woman. "What do you want," he sneered, a definite grimace plastered on his face.  
  
"Please," the old woman whispered, barely audible, "all I want is shelter from this storm…just for tonight. By morning, I'll be gone, and you'll never have to-"  
  
The prince didn't even bother to hold up his hand to silence her, but interrupted, "NO! We have no room here for the likes of you! Get out…NOW!!!"  
  
The gatekeeper attempted, from behind the prince, "But sir, it is snowing heavily, and we have plenty of rooms now, and I'm sure that it will be no trouble if-"  
  
The prince turned in fury to the man, and screamed, "NO!!! I HAVE SAID 'NO!' AND I MEANT 'NO!'"  
  
The old woman tried one last time, "Are you sure, sir? There is no room for me?"  
  
"YOU HEARD WHAT I BLOODY SAID, WOMAN!"  
  
"Very well, then." And with that, she suddenly transformed in front of him. Her back straightened, and she grew taller. Her limp hair was changed to thick, and the gray in it vanished to become blond and glossy. Her dirty cloak fell in a heap around her, and she wore a dress finer than any of the ladies in the court of that land had ever seen, even in the golden days when the prince's parents had ruled. In shock, the gatekeeper dropped his candle in the snow.  
  
The angry prince was not incredibly stupid, and he realized that this was one of those fairies that he had heard about. He fell on his knees and begged for her forgiveness, pleading that he had thought that she was someone else, and begging her to come in and rest in the best rooms in his castle.  
  
The fairy shook her head. "It is too late," she murmured, but the prince heard her. "I have heard of your cruelty, and I gave you one last chance to prove that you could improve. But you have failed miserably, and for that, you have to pay. From now on, your outward appearance will reflect your inward appearance. Inside, you are cruel and heartless, like a beast. And so you will become one, only able to regain the power of speech. However, when you look at yourself, you will see yourself as normal, like you are now, but everyone else will see you as this beast."  
  
The prince was weeping by now, and he managed to move the fairy, so she said, "However, if you can fall in love with a girl who can love you in return, then you will become human to everyone else, as well.  
  
"As for the servants, they will become invisible-even to you. They will be like winds, and they will suffer for your cruel heart as well."  
  
With that, the fairy did not wave a wand or anything, but the prince saw a flicker in her eye, and, on instinct, looked down at his hands. They were normal. However, he turned and saw the melted puddle of snow. Shaking, he held out his hands in front of the puddle.  
  
From the light from inside, he saw his reflection…all he saw was a terrible vision of huge, hairy claws, on something like an animal's paw.  
  
He looked up at the fairy, with tears beginning to form in his eyes, and when he saw the pitying look on her face, he broke down and wept. He glanced up again, but the fairy had vanished.  
  
Hope seemed to be completely gone, and he screamed in despair, but all that reached his ears was a terrible roar. He began to weep harder.  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Well, kids...that's all, folks! Now....you know what to do...if ya don't this is your cue to REVIEW!!! HA!! that...rhymed!!! YAY!!! ~Jenny the chica~ 


	2. One

A/N: MANY thanx to my three loverly reviewers, MountainDew (you're awesome), Solitary Starlight (who was, sadly, NOT the first reviewer like they thought), and unkachi...bless you all!!! I have finally picked the names what else doya think took me solong) for these characters, and here is the story...it's kinda sad, tho...awww...just read it and find out for yourself! ~Jenny the chica~  
  
  
  
One  
  
  
Many years later, in a nearby village, a young girl named Rosemarie was entranced by fairy tales, as they were called. Of course, all the grown-ups said that they were mere stories, with not even a grain of truth, but Rosemarie was sure that they were real stories, from real places. She loved all kinds of stories, as long as they ended happily ever after, of course. Tales of dragons and knights, handsome princes and beautiful princesses, fairies, both good and bad, witches, magic, and many other things.   
  
But these things were no longer everyday occurrences. In fact, none of them had been sighted for years. Even the beautiful princesses and handsome princes were rare, people said, but Rosemarie could not understand how they would know, since no one ever saw the royals.  
  
Rosemarie occupied her time by reading her fairy tales, either to herself or to her little sister, Colette. Rosemarie had developed a love of fairy tales in Colette that almost equaled the passion of her own...but only almost.  
  
Convinced that one day she would be seen by a handsome prince or knight, and that they would fall instantly in love, and that all would end happily ever after, Rosemarie decided that she must know all that could be known about life with the nobility.  
  
Since she was only a merchant's daughter, Rosemarie had no interactions with nobility. However, her father sometimes did, and she would always ask him, when he returned home, to tell her all about his trip, and he would chuckle, allow her to climb into his lap, then tell her all about it. Always an inquisitive child, Rosemarie would ask many questions, especially about the nobles, until her father was very tired and begged her for rest. Rosemarie would put on her precocious pout, and he would smile and indulge her for a little longer, until she usually fell asleep in his arms.  
  
He then would carry her into her little room, tuck her in, kiss her forehead as goodnight, and then tip-toe out of the room. The next morning, without fail, Rosemarie would wake up and vow to stay awake the next time.  
  
When her father was gone, Rosemarie would spend most of her time in the library. Her father had taught her to read when she was still very small, and she loved it. Whenever she disappeared, her mother knew to find her in the library, curled in the corner chair with a book. Usually it was, as you can easily guess, a fairy tale.  
  
One day, when Rosemarie was seventeen, her love of fairy tales still full of passion, and her dream of her life being a fairy tale still very much alive, her little, and only, sister Colette came into the library to fetch her.  
  
Colette nudged her sister, "It's time to go, Rosemarie!"  
  
Rosemarie looked down at the seven year-old, "Now? Can I just have a few more minutes?"  
  
"No...Papa's s'posed to be back tonight, remember? Momma wanted us to-"  
  
Rosemarie didn't hear the end of that. She frantically scrambled out of the chair after reaching below it for her cloak. Her back and neck were stiff from the twisted position she had eventually eased into in the wooden chair, and she shook her head in an attempt to get the kinks out of her neck.  
  
She had forgotten that Papa was coming home-and he had said that he had a surprise for her. I wonder what it could be?  
  
Rosemarie rushed out of the library door, but then turned back, opened the door, and held it for little Colette. "Hurry up!" Rosemarie whispered teasingly.  
  
Colette grinned, then challenged, "Race ya home?"  
  
"You're on!"  
  
The pair raced through the street down until they reached their home near the port. It had begun to snow, and Rosemarie was glad that they were running.  
  
When they rushed in the doorway, at the same time, both yelled, "Beat you!"  
  
Rosemarie's mother, Estelle, came out of the parlor and sighed at the sight before her. All she saw was two breathless girls, their cheeks and ears red, and their hair wet with snow.  
  
Rosemarie's cloak hood had long since abandoned its job at keeping her long, wavy blond hair dry. Colette's black, curly hair still held little snowflakes.  
  
The girls turned to their mother, and both had such a sheepish grin that Estelle began to laugh, "My, aren't you two a sight! Now go change and wash up for supper! Your father should be home any moment!"  
  
Rosemarie and Colette giggled, then rushed up the stairs. Estelle winced at the loud clumps they made as they continued to race.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Half an hour later, Michel came through the large double doors to his home. His wife and two daughters joyfully hurried out of the entrance parlor, and Rosemarie reached him first and received a warm and vibrant hug from her father.  
  
Colette was next, and Michel picked her up and twirled her around while she giggled gleefully. His wife walked up next, but there was no mistaking the happy grin on her face.  
  
It was not until after their embrace that anyone took notice of the young man behind Michel.  
  
They all turned to look at him, and Rosemarie summed him up in her head. She took in his dark black hair, which was just long enough to show that it was wavy, and beautiful green eyes, and was thankful that he appeared taller than she was. Rosemarie was thin, but she was much taller than most, and she enjoyed when she could look up to someone, since it was a seldom occurrence.  
  
Michel finally spoke up, and said, "This is my surprise. This is Henri. He is going to be my apprentice for awhile. He will live hear when we are home, and he will travel with me when I work.  
  
Each of the women nodded their heads to Henri, and then Michel introduced each of them.  
  
"This is my lovely wife, Estelle, my daughter, Colette, and my eldest daughter, Rosemarie."  
  
Rosemarie curtsied slightly to Henri, and smiled at him when she came back up. They made eye contact, and he smiled back at her.  
  
Michel and Estelle looked knowingly at each other, but did not say anything. The moment seemed to drag on, until Colette exclaimed, "What's going on?"  
  
Everyone smiled, and the moment was broken. However, Rosemarie and Henri glanced back once more at each other and smiled.  
  
The pair had to leave a few weeks later. Rosemarie was surprised by the fact that she would miss Henri. Although they had only known each other for a couple of weeks, they had been able to talk often, and they knew a lot about each other.   
  
Rosemarie grew up a lot in the two months that Henri and her father were gone. She still loved her fairy tales, but she clung to a more real alternative to being carried off by a handsome prince or knight. She realised that she was in love, and she loved the magical and tingly feeling that she felt in her heart every time she admitted that to herself.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
When Michel and Henri returned, Rosemarie met them at the wharf. She had received a letter from Henri that told her around when they would return, and she had gone out there every day since a week before the date that he had told her.  
  
When the ship was anchored, Henri jumped off, and Rosemarie ran over to him. Caught up in the moment, they kissed then and there, in front of all sorts of people, on the wharf. Rosemarie ignored the calls that vaguely echoed behind her, until they broke the kiss and he picked her up and spun her around.  
  
All of a sudden, Henri's smile faded, and he put Rosemarie down on the ground. Rosemarie turned to see her father, still smiling, and he slowly walked up. Her smile disappeared, and she felt a bright pink blush spread through her cheeks.  
  
Michel walked up until he was right next to his daughter, put his arm around her, and said, "Well...how soon do you want to marry?"  
  
Rosemarie smiled, hugged her father, and said, "As soon as we can!"  
  
He smiled and nodded his head.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
A mere three weeks later, Rosemarie and Henri married. Obviously, there was much gossip about such a quick romance, but the couple didn't care.  
  
After their simple, yet beautiful wedding, Henri made enough money to buy a small house, and they soon moved into a larger one.  
  
Rosemarie's father had promoted Henri to a much higher status than apprentice, since he already knew all that he needed to know. The two men continued to work together until Michel died.   
  
When he died, Rosemarie was heartbroken, and her two children, Marc and Gabrielle, wept along with their mother. Colette and her husband came back into town for a while, to take care of Estelle, and Henri took over the merchant business.  
  
Rosemarie had four more children after Marc and Gabrielle: Jacques, Sylvie, Bernard, and, the youngest, a little girl. When this last child was born, Rosemarie had the hardest labor yet. It was long and hard, and many times she didn't think that she would make it.  
  
But she did, and when the little girl was born, Rosemarie murmured, "Beauty," because the instant she saw the child she knew that her hours of labor had been worth it.  
  
Rosemarie continued to be very weak, and the nurse took care of the infant along with the other children.  
  
In her weakened state, Rosemarie easily caught a fever, and continued to get sicker and sicker. She regretted that she would not be able to develop a love of fairy tales in her newborn daughter, as she had in her other children, and she prayed a lot for her-that she would grow to be beautiful, that she would have a love for fairy tales, and that she would remember the mother that she would never be able to know.  
  
Rosemarie could barely speak, but she whispered to the doctor, asking for her new little girl. The doctor looked uneasy, but nodded his head. The nurse soon brought the child, and Rosemarie propped herself up on the bed with all the energy she could possibly muster. She kissed her child's forehead, then collapsed back on the bed, eyes closed.  
  
She never opened her eyes again, for she died that night. 


	3. Two

Authoress's Note: Hullo to all!!! Sorry it's been SO LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG since I updated this...but I'm in the process of writing it, and I won't write in it unless I have enough time to put towards it, SO...yeah...but I'll try to update as soon as I can...reviews always encourage updates (hint, hint...)  
  
Many thanks to: chava (u're right, Rosemarie will still be important, thanx for the questions - stuff for me to think on - and I'm afraid that my writer's block will not always be nonexistent, but hopefully it will be scarce), Jacquleine Schaeffer, eThErEaLAnGeL, Firebird (thanx for the email...sorry it's been so long! Hmmmm...good question...I said that Rosemarie was seventeen in chapter one(title one, chap two, tho), but she's closer to eighteen when she gets married (thanx to Chein for correcting me on this!)...I think I hav a line in there about her growing up fast...I know it's quick, but things were different back then, not to mention it's my own lil fantasy world!!! So there! Lol), RubyFaerie (yeah...I kinda feel sorry for him too...can't wait til he comes back into the story, tho!), no-one-of-consequence (yeah...actually, it surprised me, too...at first Rosemarie was gonna be the Beauty, but the story kinda took off on its own...kinda like Robin McKinley's quote that I think - correct me if I'm wrong - is at the beginning of Spindle's End, (i stand corrected~it's Rose Daughter, Sailor Zel reminded me~sorry, guys!) as where she talks about running behind her story ideas, waving her notebook in the air, screaming "WAIT!!!!" it was kinda like that!), Beatrice Mantanto (no, its' not the end!), and FairySpirite (sorry I made ya cry...unless u hav a cold and were snifflin already!)  
  
Well, that's it, kids...on with chapter two!!!  
  
  
~Jenny the chica~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two  
  
  
  
  
So it was that the child, Rosemarie's little girl, grew up without a mother. Henri was inconsolable for weeks, refusing to even look at his child. He did not feel strong enough to go on without the unwavering strength of his wife. He did not see how he could still run his business, not only without her, but with six children to take care of. The oldest, Marc, was only fourteen, and the oldest sister, Gabrielle, was eleven, much too young to be left to care for four little brothers and sisters. Besides, Marc was already helping his father on business.  
  
After much thought, Henri decided to keep the children's nurse to care for them while he was away. It broke his heart to do so, because he knew how much his wife would have hated it, but he had to do what was best for his children. It is better for them to grow up with a father merely half the time and still eat than to have him there and they all starve.  
  
He wept to himself, locked away in his small study. He wept over his loneliness, over how he couldn't take care of his children alone, how he missed them, and knew how they needed him, but that he lacked the strength to comfort them, wept for Rosemarie's family, heartbroken over their loss, but he cried the most over the fact that he could not even bring himself to look at his newborn daughter. The poor child did not even have a name. Henri knew in his head that it was not her fault that his wife was dead, but his heart ached over it.  
  
Henri forced himself out of his chair and opened the study door. He was shocked to see six year-old Sylvie in the doorway, looking up at him, and holding a bundle clumsily in her hand.   
  
"Papa," she whispered, "why did you go away? I missed you."  
  
A tear rolled down Henri's cheek as he knelt next to his small daughter. "I'm so sorry. Papa's just sad, that's all."  
  
"I miss Maman," Sylvie tearfully admitted. "Where did she go?"  
  
"Oh sweetheart," Henri murmured as he pulled her close to him in a hug. "She's gone to heaven."  
  
Sylvie sniffled. "That's what Aunt Colette said."  
  
"When did she come?"  
  
"She got here," Sylvie paused to thoughtfully count on her fingers, "four days ago."  
  
The day after Rosemarie had died. And Henri hadn't even known about it.  
  
Rosemarie had given birth a week and a half ago, but fever ravaged her weakened body for a week until she died. Henri had not left her side, but her delusions and feverish screams had broken his heart. She had rarely come back into consciousness, and when she did, she did not recognize anyone, not even him. He had had to leave her the morning on the day she died, to eat and rest, and the doctor said that she had asked for her baby, but only murmured "Beauty" before she had lost consciousness for the last time.  
  
Sylvie nudged him, "Papa?"  
  
He turned and smiled at her. "What is it?"   
  
"Here." She handed him her bundle and he took it with trembling hands. He unfolded the blanket and gazed for the first time at his youngest daughter. Tears began to flow at a constant pace down his cheeks, but he did not bother to wipe them away.  
  
She was asleep, but she had a beautifully precious smile on her small face, and she looked so...peaceful. Henri could not remember now why he had even attempted to blame anything on this innocent child. Everything about her reminded him of his wife. He somehow knew that she would be just like her. He realized that he had not lost his wife completely. He broke into a smile.  
  
Sylvie just watched all this, extremely patient for a six year-old. "Do ya wanna know her name?" she quietly asked, unable to keep her childlike eagerness inside any longer.  
  
Henri looked up, surprised. He had not known that she even had a name yet. Slightly hurt, he gently asked, "Who named her?"  
  
Sylvie was confused, but answered, "Aunt Colette asked all of us - me, Jacques, Gabrielle, Bernard, and Marc - what we wanted it to be, and we agreed on a name."  
  
"What was it?"  
  
Sylvie looked down at her feet, suddenly not eager to talk at all.  
  
"Sylvie," Henri cupped her chin and made her look at him. "What is her name?"  
  
Sylvie mumbled something, but he could not hear her. "Please say it again, but just a little louder."  
  
Sylvie looked up. "We named her Rosemarie, after Maman."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ps~ PLEASE review!!!! Merci beaucoup! (HAH!!! that ryhmed...and sorry it was kinda short!) 


	4. Author's Note: PLEASE READ - VERY IMPORT...

*****IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: PLEASE READ*****  
  
  
Hey guys!  
  
I know that i said in my last update of "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" (chapter 16) that i would say why i hadn't updated this, but then my life got a wee bit crazy...sooooooooooooooooo...sorry it's late, but here it is!  
  
FIRST off, thanx to Zel (for correcting me...my b!), FairySpririte (yeah, Sylvie IS a cutie-patooty!), Chien (i corrected that last chapter...sorry!), chava (you'll get to know everybody else...PROMISE!!!), Falcyn Nathronoelei (hopefully the prince will be here soon!), Firebird (thanx again for the email...good point about it being hard to call her Rosemarie...but that's already taken care of!), Fan of All (yes, i did read Nighting Lyre...yup yup...), Krissy Hughes (thank you), and XxPsychoticPixiexX (i'm trying to write more! lol)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
ok guys....some of you might have skipped all that up there, but you need to read this. I have good news and i have bad news. Before i even get to the news, though, i'll make the announcement that i had already planned to make. It's simple: this story is hard for me to write, because it goes deep into the story, and there have been sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many Beauty and the Beast retellings that making mine original and my own is extra difficult. I'm not quite sure how i'm going to do some things, so there might be HUGE gaps between chapters, and some chapters may come very close together...  
  
the bad news is that my computer crashed two weeks ago. the good news is that i had my stories on a disk. the bad news is that Rosemarie only had the prologue and first chapter on the disk. the good news is that i printed out what i had written of Rosemarie (through chapter four, or five if you count thr prologue as chapter one) for a friend to give me hints about, and she has given it back to me. the bad news is that i still lost half of a chapter, and that i have to retype it all out. so bear with me. to top it all off, i have exams through tuesday (June 4) , then on wednesday i go to the beach, come back the next tuesday, i'm home for three days, but i'm doing inner-city work, then i go to the beach with my familia...THEN i'm finally home for a week and a half, in which i'll TRY to work on my stories, and then i go to Mexico for a week. but then i'm here for a long time...so i'll try, peeps, i'll try...just bear with me!  
  
Peace and love in the meantime,  
  
~Jenny the chica~ 


	5. Three

A/N: Hey guys! I don't have ANY time right now, so i'll write my typical author's note next chapter...or i might add on later! enjoy, thanx for the reviews, and I'M GOIN TO THE BEACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! tootley-doodles! i hope y'all like it! don't forget to review! =o)  
  
~Jenny the chica~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Three  
  
  
It turns out, however, that Rosemarie rarely went by her true name. Although her father did not blame her in the least anymore, he could not stand to have her go by his beloved wife's name. Colette understood, and they agreed to call her Rose. Even that name remained only in their family.  
  
The midwife had told everyone the story, of course, so she was always known as "Beauty" since that was what everyone believed her mother Rosemarie had named her. Henri believed that his wife had been describing the baby, so he called her Rose.  
  
Rose grew up in a happy home. Although her father had planned on keeping their nurse to care for the children, Colette and her husband, along with their two children, had offered to live with them, at least until the children grew up enough to care for themselves.  
  
Henri and Marc returned to trading after two months of grieving. Henri developed a fierce love for Rose. He loved all his children, of course, but she was special. There was so much of her mother in her that he never ceased to be amazed. Every time he would come home, he would long for her smile and laugh when she was still very small, and then, long after he had greeted everyone else and talked with them, he would listen to her endless chatter about all that had happened while he was away.  
  
Rose as well grew very close to her father. She missed him ever so much whenever he was gone, but she would seek comfort in her brothers and sisters, who all took literally their father's words of "take care of Rose while I'm away...or else" when they had been small, so now it seemed as if she was half their little sister and half their adopted daughter.  
  
Naturally, Rose did not mind all the attention, but her aunt created a good balance of everything, so she luckily did not grow up selfish and spoiled, as she could have easily done.  
  
Colette lived with the children for nearly five years, until the winter that Gabrielle turned sixteen. Colette, her husband, Alain, and their two sons, Robert and Geoffrey, then moved into the country, where Alain owned a decent plot of land, and Estelle moved with them. She had too many bittersweet memories of town life to remain there any longer.  
  
Their departure was a sad one. Henri, Marc, and Jacques, who was now twelve and helping his father and brother, returned home for a longer than normal stay, to say goodbye and order the household before they had to return to business.  
  
I cannot truthfully say that tears were scarce that morning, when the traveling group of five said their farewells. Henri knew already that things would be much harder without Alain's wise advice, and Colette's strength and love in the household. He would miss his two nephews, who were very close to being his own children. But it was Estelle that he would miss most. She was one of those mother in laws that very few were blessed with. She had given him shelter and food when he was unexpected, worked behind the scenes to secure his job, and helped him keep the merchant business. Her love and joy for life, even without her husband or her precious Rosemarie, had strengthened him to go on. He was reminded daily, even when he was not at home, that he could still find strength to go on. She had lost her husband and eldest daughter, each more precious to her than anything in the world, and she found strength to continue living. How much more strength could he then find in himself?  
  
The parting was even harder on the children. Gabrielle dreaded the responsibility that she would assume the next day, and worried constantly that she did not know enough, could not know enough, must have missed something or other, would not be able to do it...but every time her aunt dropped her an encouraging word, without Gabrielle saying anything, and she knew by the time that they left that she could do it.  
  
Marc knew that he would miss his cousins, like younger brothers to him, but he also dreaded his aunt's departure. He was quite apprehensive about leaving the household to his younger sister. But his doubts did not run deep. He had other fears. He was already nineteen, and it was time that he should be searching for a wife. His father, uncle, aunt, and even grandmother had all dropped him not-so-subtle hints, but he feared getting close to someone, only to have them slip away. Like his mother.  
  
He knew in his head, of course, that chances of this were very slim. But his heart...his heart still ached over the loss of his mother, and of seeing his father's grief. Often on voyages he would watch his father gaze into nothingness and the bow of the boat. Marc always knew what - or who - he was thinking about. Marc did not want that for himself.  
  
Jacques missed his cousins already, as Robert was his age, twelve, and they were often confused as twins, in spite of the fact that they looked nothing alike. Jacques with his medium brown hair, somewhere between curly and wavy, and always a silly grin on his face and a practical joke planned in his mind, hidden behind his brilliant green eyes. Robert had dark black hair, curlier that Jacques', with soft brown eyes. However, they shared the same fun-loving nature, which, more often that not, got then in quite a lot of trouble.  
  
Sylvie was now eleven, and it was obvious that she was going to be a classic beauty. She had long, dark, dark brown hair, which appeared black until one was extremely close. She had the same brilliant emerald eyes as her brother Jacques, but a more beautiful smile, unlike Jacques', which could only be described as "goofy." Sylvie was very close to her aunt and uncle, but she was still in the stage of "boys-have-cooties-and-I-don't-want-then" (the cooties, that is), so she shared a rather stiff goodbye with her two cousins, even worse since she was right between them in age, with Robert at twelve and Geoffrey at ten.  
  
Bernard, at nine, had spent the majority of his remembered life under his aunt's care, so her sudden departure made absolutely no sense to him. Everyone tried to explain, but he wept and wailed, moaning about his "aunty" and his not being important, and the like. He clung to Sylvie, to her obvious chagrin, as if the world was about to leave then they watched the party leave. He wept until he had no tears to cry, and then he had hiccups for five hours - Sylvie counted.  
  
It was Rose who already held the strength that her siblings ended up relying on, which was terribly ironic considering that they had practically raised her. Although she was only five, she had been graced with a strange, contented spirit of peace and calmness. It had been evident since she began to talk, and no longer needed to wail for food, attention, or anything else. She was both talkative and quiet, a strange combination to say the least. Rose endlessly chattered to her father, siblings, aunt, uncle, cousins, and her grandmother. But she was extremely shy to anyone else, and would almost never talk to anyone outside her family circle. Colette suspected that it was because of her lack of a mother, but Henri insisted that is was just a phase, and that she would grow out of it.  
  
Colette begged Henri to let her out more, but he refused, although she often would when he was away. When he was home, he barely let Rose outside the house, and never alone, which is not extremely strange for a five year-old, but Rose was definitely overprotected. Colette knew that it was because Henri felt that Rose was all he had left of Rosemarie, and she often told him that he had more. But he refused to listen. He had a fiercer love for her than anything else, even her other siblings. Thankfully, they were all too wrapped up in their own devoted love, affection, and care of Rose that they did not notice it until later, and, surprisingly, seemed to understand. Even they could see how much she was like their mother, both in looks and attitude. Rose had the peace and kindness her mother had possessed with ease, her beautiful smile, already more stunning that Sylvie's, who didn't mind because she adored her little sister. Rose also looked exactly like a younger version of her mother, at least in the face. She had long, wavy hair, but it was light brown where her mother's had been a shimmering blond, and although her mother had possessed sparkling blue eyes, Rose's were a deep gray that seemed dull and boring at first, but entranced those who took time to look deep into them. At five years old, she had already lived up to the name the entire town was convinced her mother had given her.  
  
Rose, in her heart, missed her aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandmother very much, but she had a strange sense that this was the time she needed to be strong. She smiled at them and their tears, gave them those huge, warm hugs, that only five year-olds can give, and cheerfully waved goodbye as the rest of her family wept. Rose knew that she would see them again, and soon. Didn't they?  
  
Everyone eventually turned to go inside, one by one, as the coach descended out of their line of sight. Rose was almost the last to go, still joyfully waving her hand off, when she finally turned to go in, only to see Sylvie, with Bernard permanently attached to her, his arms locked in a circle around her waist, and his head on her side.  
  
Rose walked up to them, hugged a bewildered Sylvie, and kissed Bernard on the cheek. Then she walked inside, out of the sudden cold.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
At dinner that evening, thankfully not the disaster that Gabrielle had dreaded, along with many of her siblings, reality had finally sunk in. Bernard had finally finished hiccupping, to everyone's relied, and the children all felt the void of those absent.  
  
Dinner was silent, and the elegant table was surrounded by sober faces, with only one cheerful smile in their midst. Rose's, of course.  
  
No one noticed her smile until Henri happened to glance up and see her. "Rose," he asked, "is anything the matter?"  
  
Rose, still smiling, replied, "Nothing, Papa. But why is everyone so sad?"  
  
At this remark, her five siblings glanced up at her in disbelief, but she was still cheerful as ever. Marc cleared his throat.   
  
Rose smiled through the uncomfortable silence, until Gabrielle was compelled to ask, "Rose, don't you miss Aunt Colette, Uncle Alain, Robert, Geoffrey, or even Grandmère?"  
  
Rose shook her head vigorously. "Of course I miss them, but we will see them again soon. Isn't that right, Papa?"  
  
Gabrielle and Marc looked downwards when Henri looked towards them for help. Jacques and Sylvie looked slightly hopeful, and Bernard was practically glowing with joy at this new possibility.  
  
Smiling, Henri answered, "Of course, Rose. We will see them very soon."  
  
Henri had only said this to reassure his daughter. In truth, he doubted that it would be less than ten years, at the very least, before they saw each other again. The country was a long ways away, and the journey was long and difficult. When he had talked to Alain, Colette, and Estelle alone, they had discussed the fact that it would be a long time before they saw each other. They would probably not even be able to come back into town for the weddings of Marc or Gabrielle, or even Jacques, even though plans for them were nowhere near underway. The older children had realized this. They had overheard how long and hard the journey was, and how their family members would not be able to return for a long time. Bernard and Rose had not realized this, but Bernard had caught onto the sober atmosphere around him and had immediately suspected the worst. Rose, however, although she was usually quite sensitive to the moods around her, seemed oblivious. The rest of her family only smiled at her innocent nature, partly amused and even a bit encouraged, as though they had finally realized that hope was not gone for good.  
  
Unbeknownst to all of them, Rose had been right. They saw the group much sooner than anyone had suspected. 


	6. Four

A/N: Hi, all! Sorry it's been so long since I could update...it took me forever to think up some character names (that's always the hardest part for me...funny, ain't it?)  
  
But here's the next chapter, and it's LOOOONG!!!!! Happy? Good! Now review! I'll respond to reviews at the end of this chapter!  
  
Peace and love in the meantime!  
  
~Jenny the chica~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Four  
  
  
  
Before they met up with their family, however, many things happened. Henri, Marc, and Jacques left two months later. Henri's business soared from there, incredibly in the space of mere months. The family prospered tenfold, and then some. Business was richer than it ever had been. The trade expanded, and Henri hired many merchants under him, to control different regions he traded with. In fact, the business went so well that Henri, although he still controlled the business, was able to stay at home and control from afar. He did much more desk and account work, but he loved the time with his family.  
  
Marc was given the especially large and prosperous region of Rahdomid to control trade in, and Jacques, and later Bernard, worked under him. About half a year after his aunt, uncle, grandmother, and cousins had left, Marc met Raquel, the daughter of the Earl of Cathar, one of Rahdomid's wealthiest citizens. They were engaged within another half of a year, and they married the next summer.  
  
The wedding was nothing short of incredible. It is probably best seen through the eyes of Rose, who had only just turned seven at the time.  
  
She was amazed when she arrived with her family. They arrived at Raquel's family manor a week and a half before the wedding, but decorations were already being put up, and even Rose knew that planning had begun in the past winter, when Marc had proposed.  
  
Much was a blur to Rose, naturally. It had taken a long time for the reality that her brother was getting married to really sink in, and she had been very sad at first, because she thought, as many little sisters tend to do, that she was losing him. She wanted to give this "Raquel" person a piece of her opinionated, six-and-a-half-and-almost-seven year-old mind, until the day that the pair met.   
  
When Marc told her that Raquel wanted to meet her, Rose stuck out her tongue at him, which was not at all like her, but, then again, she was six-and-a-half-and-almost-seven, so we can forgive her for the little things. Then Marc had the nerve to tell her that she was coming this way, so Rose did the most sensible thing she could think of. She dove behind her big brother, threw her arms around his waist, and buried her cherub-like face into the small of his back.  
  
After much effort, Marc half-coaxed, half-pulled her around, she froze, her thing arms, free at last of the baby fat that she had so preciously held onto for the first five years of her life, still tightened around her brother's waist.  
  
She was so...so...beautiful! Rose couldn't believe it. This couldn't possibly be the monster who was stealing her favorite biggest big brother in the whole world! She had blond hair nearly down to her waist, tied back in a simple braid, although her hair still shimmered in the sunlight, held back as it was. She had the prettiest blue eyes, eyes that reminded Rose of the ocean that she so loved, having grown up practically in it, yet they were clear, all one shade, without the strange flecks that some possessed. She had a slightly tanned complexion, but with rosy cheeks and lips.  
  
Rose could barely hear marc say from above her, "Rose, this is Raquel. Raquel, this is my littlest sister, Rose."  
  
Rose loosened her grip on Marc, and walked over to Raquel, who had bent down on her knees so as to be eye-level with her future sister-in-law. Rose still stared, then licked her lips and managed to whisper, "Are you an angel?"  
  
Rose missed the sweet look that Raquel and Marc shared, for she listened to Raquel laugh, which she personally thought was the prettiest laugh that she had ever heard in her life.  
  
Marc chuckled softly as he bent down to their low level, and whispered in Rose's ear, but loud enough so that Raquel could hear, "Well, Rose...she's my angel."  
  
Rose nodded her head, and enclosed Raquel in her tiny arms, Raquel smiled at Marc again, this time around Rose's head, then asked Rose something about helping her plan the wedding. Rose took her hand as Raquel straightened to her normal height, and nodded eagerly. Raquel began to lead her towards the house, but Rose suddenly stopped and turned to Marc.  
  
"But Marc! If she's your angel, what am I?" she said with a childlike earnest, as if the fate of the world depended on the correct answer to this question.  
  
Marc pretended to be shocked. "Rose! You silly girl! You'll always be my littlest angel!"  
  
Rose beamed back at him for his remembrance of his pet name for her, then let go of Raquel's hand and rushed at Marc. He swept her up in a huge hug, twirled her around a couple of times, then sent her on her way with his fiancée.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Rose had loved being a part of it all. Her whole family had embraced Raquel as wholeheartedly as she had. The strangest thing, although Rose never found out about it until much later, was that Marc had brought Raquel to see Rose first, even before they were officially engaged, although Rose had believed that they were. He knew, even then, that she had a strange sense about people. It was as if she could see inside them, know about them, who they really and truly were, deep down inside, by just looking at them and talking about the simplest things. Her approval of Raquel meant even more to him than it did to Raquel, even though she immediately stepped into the big sister role for Rose.  
  
Raquel helped Rose overcome her childish shyness. She found Rose to be exceptionally friendly, and helped her out of the shell that family alone had previously been able to penetrate. Raquel took Rose everywhere when planning the wedding: to the tailor, baker, florist, and so on. Rose helped pick out food, flowers, and even had a large say-so on with dresses, not only for her own, as she was the only flower girl, but for the bridesmaids and even Raquel's dress!  
  
The week and a half before the wedding went by extremely fast. Rose ended up being the little messenger between Marc and Raquel, since they were roomed in separate wings of the manor, and both families were so rigidly traditional that they could see none of each other until the wedding ceremony. So Rose took messages back and forth between the couple, much to her delight, and, most amazingly, never told a soul. At least not until some years later.  
  
The wedding went smoothly, of course, although Rose wished that her aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandmother could be there. She truly missed them terribly. As everyone watched the carriage pulling the newlyweds to their honeymoon slowly drift out of sight, Rose squeezed her eyes shut, bunched her hands into fists, and wished with every ounce of energy and faith in her that she could see her family soon.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Rose did not get her wish, however, within that year, or even the next. Gabrielle was married to Eduard that autumn, quite suddenly, since they had met at Marc and Raquel's wedding, yet joyfully. After that, life settled into a normal pace. When Marc and Raquel returned from their honeymoon, they moved into a nice townhouse down the street from Marc's family, and Marc continued to manage trade with Rahdomid, which, to Raquel's chagrin, kept him away from home quite often.  
  
Whenever he was gone, Raquel would come and live with her in-laws, who joyfully welcomed her whenever she came.  
  
Gabrielle and Eduard moved to another town, where Eduard owned business. Everyone hated to see her go, but she promised to visit often.  
  
Life was good and peaceful until about two years later. Marc, Jacques, and Bernard returned home from a trip much sooner than expected, and barged into their childhood home, while everyone, Raquel included, was eating supper. Henri and Raquel rushed to the door, and Rose tried, except Sylvie, now fifteen and in charge of most of the household, kept her back, pulling the nine year-old into her lap, for she was still quite small.  
  
From her vantage point, Rose could see that their clothes were tattered and could hear the Bernard had a terrible cough. Raquel, usually very calm, was near hysterics with worry, but Marc insisted on talking with his father in the study. Raquel, although not invited, was allowed to come. Silence hung over the abandoned dinner table for what seemed like eternity. Sylvie and Rose were the only ones left there, and Rose squirmed in her sister's lap, stopping only to look pleadingly at her sister, silently entreating to know what was going on. Sylvie smiled and played with her hair, trying to distract her sister and get her own mind off it all. It didn't work very well.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
In reality, it was only a few minutes later when the group emerged from the study, all silent, a mixture of shock, disbelief, and confusion on everyone's face.  
  
Sylvie was silent, but Rose looked straight at Marc and demanded, "What has happened?"  
  
Marc said nothing. Rose waited for his reply, but when none came, she asked again, "Marc! What has happened?"  
  
Marc avoided her pointed gaze and slumped into a seat at the table. Raquel came behind him, wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned on him, looking down and studying the table with her husband.  
  
Rose looked now to her other brothers, "Jacques? Bernard? Will you not tell me what has happened? Papa?"  
  
Henri looked up and tried to smile at his youngest, but he could not even achieve that. The worried concern, however, that was painted across Rose's face broke him, and he looked up and began to speak. "Rose...I have lost everything."  
  
Rose blinked in shock, certain that she had misunderstood him. "What?" she whispered.  
  
He sighed deeply, as if the weight of the entire world was upon his shoulders. "I have lost everything. Your brothers were caught in a storm that destroyed half my ships, and even more were attacked and then burned by pirates. I have only two ships left, and I will have to sell these, along with everything we have, to repay for what was stolen, burned, and sunken."  
  
Rose, still shocked, nodded to herself slightly as she understood it all.   
  
Her father continued, "We have nowhere to go, Rosemarie."  
  
In their sadness, everyone jerked up, for Henri had never referred to Rose by her full name. Half of them thought that he was talking to their dead mother, and the other half thought that he was just showing Rose the seriousness of the situation by calling her by her entire given name.  
  
Whatever the reason, Rose hopped out of Sylvie's lap, since she had long since relinquished her grip, and ran over to Henri, who was moaning that they had nothing and no one and nowhere to go.  
  
Rose threw her arms around him and cried, "But Papa! We still have hope! We have Grandmère and Uncle Alain and Aunt Colette and Robert and Geoffrey! I told you that we would see them again! Now we have no choice! We can go to the country, and I know that we'll find a way to fix everything there, Papa! I know we can!"  
  
Henri gazed at his daughter in awe, as did everyone else. But her hope had, in a way, broken a spell of sorts. That is, a spell of sadness and depression. Now her hope spread around the table like wildfire, and the family was excitedly talking about seeing their grandmother, uncle, aunt, and cousins again.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
It is not to be assumed that the task of selling nearly everything the family owned and moving away from the only town that any of them, save Raquel, had lived in was at all easy. On the contrary, it was quite difficult, and even Rose shed tears more than once at this newfound predicament. But they prevailed, and were ready in a couple of months to make their move to the country.  
  
Marc and Raquel decided to move to Rahdomid, where they could live with Raquel's family until Marc could establish a job. Everyone was sad to see them go, but understood that they were their own family now, and had to grow on their own. Gabrielle and !! came into town to help with the move, but they returned to their home after all was settled, with tearful goodbyes, naturally, since no one knew when they would be able to see each other again.  
  
So, in the early days of spring, Henri, Jacques, Sylvie, Bernard, and Rose set off towards the country, in sadness, for they were leaving behind almost all that they had ever known, but in joy as well, for they were going to see family for the first time in four years.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Ok, guys...here goes...  
  
Firebird ~ thank you!  
  
fairyspirite ~ You crack me up!  
  
MiniMichelle2 ~ I'm sorry u don't like how i wrote it. I agree that the 1st chappie is kinda funky...dang, even my MOTHER asked what was wrong with me...i was just in a weird mood when i wrote it...and just the way i'm writing this is lengthening the story...but it's getting better! I promise!  
  
chava ~ wow...way to stand up for me! lol...sorry about the minor grammatical errors...  
  
FairtySpirite ~ Good luck on your story!  
  
Zel the Stampede ~ Actually i didn't mean to borrow the names from "Once Upon a Winter's Night!" I didn't read the book until a couple weeks after your review! They're just common French names! lol  
  
OYC_Bambi@yahoo.com ~ I've added more now!  
  
BG2 ~ Thankies!  
  
etherealangel ~ First of all, i love your name! Thanks for the review!  
  
  
  
There it is, folks! Now review again, and i'll update again! And I do have a couple more chappies written! Ha-HA!!! See ya real soon!  
  
  
Peace and love in the meantime!  
  
  
~Jenny the chica~ 


	7. Five

Authoress's Note: Hullo! Sorry it's been while...but here's the next chappie...  
  
Thanx to: Mary F. Sunshine (I hope you're still insane), Nathronoelei (gracias), and AquariusDragon (many thanx)  
  
Well, that's it, folks! Keep reviewing, and you too might see your name featured at the beginning of a chapter! Bye-bye now!  
  
Peace and love in the meantime!  
  
~Jenny the chica~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Five  
  
  
The trip, journey, travel, call it whatever you may, was quite uneventful. It was rather long and hard, but it was safe and nothing important or terribly interesting occurred during the time.  
  
They finally reached Alain's lands after around four months after they had set out. Henri had been able to send a letter ahead, and the quintet received a warm welcome from everyone.  
  
Robert was now sixteen, and Geoffrey fourteen. Both looked much older, and so did the four children, some not children anymore, that had traveled.  
  
Rose and her family, after staying up long into the night, even though they had arrived relatively early in the day, settled into bed and slept comfortably and soundly, for no one can sleep well in noisy inns, no matter how comfortable they may be, for the first time in months.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Six years passed from here. Alain was able to find Henri a job, as well as Jacques and Bernard. Henri worked in a store in the nearby village, for Alain owned land in the forest outside it, and Jacques and Bernard worked for Alain in the grain fields that he owned on the other side of the village.  
  
Sylvie and Rose helped their aunt around the house. Since Sylvie had already been managing at their old house, she knew what she was doing, and between her and Colette, there was not much for Rose to do.  
  
Colette gave Rose different odd jobs to do, oftentimes errands and such, and one day, she asked Rose to help her in the garden. Rose nodded happily, glad to be able to help, and followed her aunt outside.  
  
And in that sunny afternoon in the first early fall that she was in the country, Rose found her passion. From then on, her permanent "job" around the house was taking care of the garden, and she spent all her spare time there. She was out there as soon as she could see what she was doing, and oftentimes her father had to come out and manually pick her up and carry her inside so she would eat dinner.  
  
All her dresses had two brown circles in the skirt from where her knees pinned it against the dirt, and brown streaks were also quite evident. Colette laughed at first, but then had to tell Rose that not all dresses are "garden dresses."  
  
And so Rose grew, from ten, since she had had a birthday on the journey, to eleven, and so on until she reached the hallowed age of sixteen, when things began to finally happen.  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Sorry it's soooo short...I just had to connect the first part with the main part (y'know, when everything actually HAPPENS to her...this is still a Beauty and the Beast retelling, y'know!)  
  
But please review! =o) And...I'll c-ya next chapter! Tootles! 


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